Washington, DC – National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) will honor five extraordinary individuals with Victory Awards at its 25th Anniversary Gala on Thursday, December 1, 2011, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., including professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce.

Pearce, a highly accomplished U.S. Snowboarder and four-time Winter X Games medalist from Norwich, Vt., sustained a traumatic brain injury when he crashed during a training run in Park City, Utah and struck his head on the lip of the halfpipe in late 2009. He has made great strides in his recovery and is now analyzing snowboarding from the broadcast booth and hopes to be back on snow this winter.

Pearce catapulted onto the professional snowboarding stage in 2005 at age 18, quickly becoming an athlete to watch. He was deemed TTR (Ticket to Ride) Champion at the end of the 2008 season. In the 2009 Winter X Games, Pearce brought home the Silver Medal for Superpipe, making him the front-runner to win Gold in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics before his accident.

Other 2011 honorees include: Robert David Hall, star of the CBS series CSI: Las Vegas; Mickey Gilley, country music legend; Marquita Lister, opera star; and Edward Eckenhoff, the founder of NRH.

“We are very proud to be honoring these individuals at our 25th Anniversary Gala Victory Awards,” said John Rockwood, NRH President. “All of these individuals represent the true essence of the Victory Awards – ‘the Victory of the Human Spirit.'”

The Victory Awards were created by NRH in 1986 to honor individuals who best exemplify exceptional strength and courage in the face of physical adversity. Over the past 25 years, NRH has recognized celebrities and former patients from all walks of life with this prestigious award.

Some of the previous recipients include: Sen. Bob Dole, one of the first Victory Award recipients; Edward M. ‘Ted’ Kennedy, Jr.; James Brady; Johnny Cash; Sammy Davis, Jr.; Julio Iglesias; Gloria Estefan; actress Patricia Neal; former NFL player Mike Utley; Sam Donaldson; Heather Mills; Kirk Douglas; Stevie Wonder; and ABC News reporter Bob Woodruff.